Stakeholders in Nigeria’s nutrition and pharmaceutical sectors have called for a move away from reliance on donor-driven supplies toward local production and market-based financing to ensure the sustainable scale-up of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women.
The appeal was made on Tuesday in Abuja during the 7th Nigerian Academy of Science Scientific Conference, at a high-level session organized by the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC) in collaboration with Sight and Life. The session, titled “Moving Research to Market: Scaling Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for Maternal Health Impact in Nigeria,” focused on Nigeria’s transition from iron–folic acid (IFA) supplementation to MMS, highlighting discussions on research evidence, supply chains, financing strategies, and local manufacturing.
Speaking at the session, Salisu Abubakar, President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), emphasized that Nigeria’s shift to MMS is supported by evidence demonstrating improved maternal and birth outcomes compared to the traditional iron–folic acid supplements.
Mr. Abubakar explained that MMS, formulated according to the United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMAP) standards, contains 15 essential micronutrients and has been proven to reduce anaemia, low birth weight, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
He added that MMS was formally adopted under the Nigerian Micronutrient Deficiency Control Guideline in 2021 and is currently distributed free of charge at public health facilities, primarily through government initiatives and support from development partners.
However, he highlighted that supply remains insufficient and well below the country’s needs, emphasizing that reliance on donor-funded distribution is unsustainable.
“The supply gap makes it clear that we need to promote local production and start seriously considering market-based approaches,” he said.
He added that although MMS is widely accepted by pregnant women, challenges such as limited access to antenatal care, constrained health facility capacity, and inconsistent availability of the supplement continue to hinder widespread use.
Sunday Okoronkwo, programme lead at Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), noted that Nigeria’s shift to MMS has been guided by implementation research aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Mr. Okoronkwo explained that a nationwide study, conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, evaluated the acceptability, adherence, and cost-effectiveness of MMS.
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